‘CAMELOT’: Phillipa Soo & Andrew Burnap. Photo: Joan Marcus.

CAMELOT
Music by Frederick Loewe
Original book & lyrics by Alan Lerner
Book by Aaron Sorkin
Based on T. H. White’s The Once and Future King
Directed by Bartlett Sher
Vivian Beaumont Theatre
150 West 65th Street
(212-239-6200), https://camelotbway.com/

By David NouNou

Lord, save the musical theatre from heavy-handed “serious” writers who insert themselves into classic musicals in the name of reinventing them. Camelot was the next venture for Lerner and Loewe following their smash hit My Fair Lady. They tackled T. H. White’s fantasy novel The Once and Future King, which were short stories based about King Arthur based on the 1485 work Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory. They created this fantasy world for the theatre about King Arthur, meeting and marrying Guenevere, creating the round table with knights of the highest order and valor, and its most formidable knight Lancelot du Lac. Visually, Camelot was and may still be the most opulent, extravagant, lavish and colorful musical ever created. I know, I saw it and remember it vividly, thanks in large part to my parents taking me to the theatre at a very early age.

The book by Mr. Lerner wasn’t perfect; it contained too much plot and so many characters but it had an easy flow. The score was sublime especially the lilting music by Mr. Loewe. This is not an easily revivable musical in great part because of the complicated and overlong book and Aaron Sorkin hasn’t made it any better. Between him and Bartlett Sher—who is a formidable director of musicals: South Pacific, The King and I, My Fair Lady,  all under the banner of Lincoln Center—have stripped the fantasy, joy, glory, pomp, extravagance and whimsy and left us this dreary, vapid, monochromatic, joyless world that once was known as Camelot.

Starting with Arthur (Andrew Burnap) hiding from his arranged betrothal to Guenevere (Phillipa Soo), Princess of France, to end the wars and seal the relationship between England and France. Arthur and Guenevere, while escaping from her retinue, stumble upon each other in the wintry woods near the castle where Arthur explains the virtues of Camelot in the song “Camelot.” The two form a bond, which will lead to the creation of the round table. Arthur’s mentor and tutor, Merlin (Dakin Matthews), before dying, warns Arthur of impending doom but doesn’t tell him what it is. In walks Lancelot (Jordan Donica), the knight of the highest ideals singing his own virtues in “C’est Moi.”

Temptation does enter this magical kingdom of virtue, morals and standards where no one is above the law. Arthur’s illegitimate son, Mordred (Taylor Trensch), is the snake in the garden of Eden who tempts Lancelot and Guenevere to be caught together, and causes the undoing of Arthur and all of his idealistic dreams.

Again, although it wasn’t perfect, Lerner and Loewe attempted to create a beautiful world where one could hope for a better future. In Sorkin and Sher’s world, on the enormous Vivian Beaumont stage, their world starts out bleak, threadbare, and has no chance for any higher ideals, the illusion and fantasy are missing and there is no hint of it in Michael Yeargan’s nonexistent sets. Instead of armor, gossamer and brocade, the costumes by Jennifer Moeller are so drab, dreary and adorned with black leather that this Camelot lacks any illusion, mystique or charm.

Thankfully, what is kept intact is the beautiful and melodic score and that is in large part due to its musical director and conductor Kimberly Grigsby. One can just close one’s eyes and listen to Ms. Grigsby and her full glorious orchestra and I’ll quote “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot.”

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 16, 2023
Reviewed at April 15, 2023 press performance.

‘CAMELOT’: Phillipa Soo, Andrew Burnap, Dakin Matthews & Jordan Donica. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘CAMELOT’: Andrew Burnap. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘CAMELOT’: Jordan Donica. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘CAMELOT’: Andrew Burnap. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘CAMELOT’: Jordan Donica & Phillipa Soo. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘CAMELOT’: Phillipa Soo. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘CAMELOT’: Taylor Trensch & Marilee Talkington. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘CAMELOT’: Danny Wolohan, Anthony Michael Lopez, Fergie Philippe & Dakin Matthews. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘CAMELOT’: Phillipa Soo & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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‘TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD’: Jeff Daniels. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
By Aaron Sorkin
Based on Harper Lee’s novel
Directed by Bartlett Sher
Shubert Theatre
225 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), https://tokillamockingbirdbroadway.com/

By David NouNou

Everyone who has read the 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird or seen the 1962 movie version with Gregory Peck in his Oscar-winning role as Atticus Finch is going to have an opinion of this stage adaptation; and anyone who has done neither is not going to know the difference.

To Kill a Mockingbird as a play carries a heavy burden. Since the book’s release, Harper Lee’s story has come to symbolize the “Great American” novel. It has been a “must read” in almost every school’s curriculum since its inception. Aaron Sorkin, a famous and popular dramatist, TV and screenwriter, writes scripts that focus on today’s issues, whether it is the presidency (“The West Wing” or “The American President”), the media (“The Newsroom”) or American lust for power and money (Steve Jobs or Molly’s Game). Mr. Sorkin always writes about issues with a contemporary standpoint that translate to the masses. This time he has taken it upon himself to transform this masterpiece into a meandering and rambling theatrical epic.

Mr. Sorkin has kept the principal players and setting intact; it is still 1936, Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus is here but with a much saintlier glow. The three children: Tomboyish Jean Louise “Scout” Finch (Celia Keenan-Bolger), who in the book is anywhere from six to eight; her older brother, Jeremy “Jem” Finch (Will Pullen), and Dill Harris (Gideon Glick), a diminutive child who sees the world from an innocent standpoint as an outsider. He is staying with his aunt Rachel, their next-door neighbor, this particular summer. The children in the book are now played by adults and that is perfectly fine, because the parts are so complex and children that young would not comprehend the gravity of the situation on a nightly basis.

Also the crux of the story here is Tom Robinson (Gbenga Akinnagbe), a black man being accused by Bob Ewell (Frederick Weller), a white man claiming Tom raped his daughter, Mayella. Another major character is Calpurnia, the devoted Finch housekeeper who for decades was retained by Atticus’ wife’s family, and has now taken care of Jem and Scott since their mother died when the kids were young.

The play remains a Southern Gothic classic and a tale of children coming of age. It is still in the South where the Ku Klux Klan is rampant and lawlessness runs amok, especially in the black section of town and nothing can prove the innocence of a black man, in an all-white jury, even when all the evidence is there. What has changed, however, is the dialogue and Atticus Finch.

Atticus’ saintliness borders on the psychotic; he always has to prove that everyone has a good side and try to understand what leads a person to where they are today, especially in the case of Bob Ewell, a drunkard, bully and bigot. This comes in the wake of his children not coming to terms with their father’s stubbornness and trying to be a savior. This also comes in direct conflict with Calpurnia, the family caregiver, who feels betrayed by Atticus.

The dialogue is another issue. In a scene where Atticus confronts Calpurnia “why are you mad at me, what did I do wrong?” she uses the terms “passive-aggressive” and “transparent.” I really don’t think those terms were used in the rural South in 1936.

Bartlett Sher, the director, hasn’t so much directed the play and given it any focus as put the characters and scenes handed to him into motion. A lot could have been edited from certain scenes, some scenes eliminated completely, and some scenes kept intact as the novel intended.

Being that Jeff Daniels has worked with Aaron Sorkin in the TV series “The Newsroom,” he was likely Mr. Sorkin’s first choice to play Atticus Finch. Mr. Daniels is stalwart and saintly. Will Pullen as Jem is serviceable, Celia Keenan-Bolger as Scout is a perfect choice; she imbues the characteristics of a tomboyish girl full of curiosity and is effective in most of her scenes. The real treasure here is Gideon Glick as Dill. A couple of years ago he did a great turn in Significant Other. As the guileless Dill, Mr. Glick heartbreakingly conveys every nuance of an abandoned child who lives in his own rose-colored world that ultimately shatters in the face of death and bigotry.

Additionally, Gbenga Akinnagbe, as the convicted Tom Robinson, delivers a powerful performance that envelops the stage and of course there is LaTanya Richardson Jackson as Calpurnia; she is an anchor and mother courage.

Of course my take is not the definitive view; for years to come there will be the controversy of whether this novel needed to be made into a play or is it a worthy piece that lives up to the novel? Unlike most plays or musicals where reviews help or hinder a show, this play will definitely have its defenders and detractors regardless of what critics say. You the audience/viewer will ultimately be the definitive critics.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 13, 2018
Reviewed at preview performance.

‘TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD’: LaTanya Richardson Jackson & Jeff Daniels. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

‘TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD’: Jeff Daniels & Obenga Akinnagbe. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

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